Surviving Midterms

I’ve been MIA these past few weeks due to a second round of midterm exams—I apologize for that! But I am back, better than ever!

My midterms these past few weeks were definitely stressful, to say the least, but I want to share some study tips and habits that helped me get through exam season.

1. Attend lectures

A big part of being independent in college is keeping yourself accountable to attend every class on your schedule. It’s easy to decide to skip class one day because you’re feeling a bit tired or not in the mood. Stay motivated and attend lectures to ensure that you are receiving all the information you need for your exams!

2. Talk to your professor during office hours

Office hours is the best thing to ever exist, in my opinion. A lot of the times, I have questions or concerns about lecture material that I would prefer my professors clarify for me. There is a solution to this: Attend office hours! Office hours is a time when professors clear up their schedule for a few hours so that students can talk one-on-one with them about lecture material or anything else on their minds. I have developed great relationships with my professors during office hours, so I highly recommend attending a few of these!

3. Create your own study guide

It may seem like a lot of work, but creating your own study guide can test your knowledge more efficiently. Writing things down in your own words can also help you better understand what you need to know on exams. There are other resources, like Quizlet or Anki, that can help with memorization and repetition!

4. Stay well-rested

This is something a lot of college students disregard, but it is crucial to your performance on exams and in school, overall. Maintaining healthy habits, like eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising frequently, will all contribute to your success in school.

5. Don’t procrastinate

Last but not least, do NOT procrastinate. A lot of us, myself included, have this issue. It’s easy to put off work if there are no deadlines coming up. During this time, digest and learn the exam material little-by-little so that when exam day approaches, you will have been familiar with the information already.

These are just a few tips that can help you on exams and classes, in general. Keep pushing through and you will reap the benefits soon after!

Kripa

Class of 2020
I'm majoring in Psychology, minoring in Spanish, and pursuing a pre-dental track. It seems like I’m all over the place, but that’s what I like about college! I get to choose to study what I’m interested in, and I’m happy to be doing just that at Illinois.

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